What was trumps felony?

What Was Trump’s Felony?

During his presidency, Donald Trump was investigated by the Department of Justice for potential violations of campaign finance laws. In April 2018, FBI agents raided the office and hotel room of Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, seizing documents and recordings related to Cohen’s interactions with Trump and other government officials. The investigation ultimately led to charges against Cohen and several other individuals and organizations.

What was the Felony?

Trump was not charged with a felony himself, but he was implicated in a criminal scheme involving campaign finance violations. The scheme allegedly involved hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to prevent them from speaking publicly about their alleged affairs with Trump.

The Crimes Committed

According to the court filings, Trump’s felony offenses involved the following crimes:

• Conspiracy: Cohen and others allegedly conspired to make illegal campaign contributions by making hush-money payments to Daniels and McDougal.
• Campaign Finance Violations: The payments were allegedly made to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election and to benefit Trump’s campaign.
• Falsification of Campaign Finance Reports: Cohen allegedly submitted false campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to conceal the true nature of the payments.

The Role of Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney and fixer. He was responsible for handling many of Trump’s legal matters, including his personal affairs. Cohen allegedly made the hush-money payments at Trump’s direction and tried to conceal them from the public and the FEC.

Cohen’s Conviction

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts of tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Trump’s Involvement

The special counsel’s investigation concluded that Trump had corresponded with Cohen about the payments and was aware of the scheme. Trump’s involvement was inferred from:

• Phone Calls: Trump and Cohen made multiple phone calls about the payments, including one call in which Trump reportedly discussed the need to reimburse Cohen for the payments.
• Text Messages: Trump and Cohen exchanged text messages about the payments, including one message in which Trump reportedly wrote, "I know guys who do things for me, for fun, for free. Just for the fun of it."
• Meetings: Trump and Cohen had multiple meetings to discuss the payments, including a meeting at Trump Tower in July 2016.

The Legal Significance

The investigation and subsequent conviction of Michael Cohen had significant legal implications for Trump:

• Potential Obstruction of Justice: Trump’s attempts to influence the outcome of the investigation and silence his former attorney could have been seen as obstruction of justice.
• Criminal Liability: Trump could have been charged with crimes if the investigation had been completed before he left office.
• Impeachment: The investigation could have led to impeachment proceedings in Congress if Trump’s involvement in the scheme had been deemed sufficient to constitute high crimes and misdemeanors.

Conclusion

The investigation into Trump’s potential felonies concluded that while he was not charged with a crime himself, his involvement in the scheme to silence Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal raised concerns about his integrity and compliance with campaign finance laws. The case highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in political campaigns and serves as a reminder that political power is not above the law.

Table: The Crimes Committed

Table: Trump’s Involvement